Athlete of Month

Member name:

Kyle K.

Athlete of the month: January

Details

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM?

I was born and raised in Indianapolis but moved to Chicago a little over 9 years ago. In the day time I work in supply chain for Ulta Beauty where I lead a supplier performance team. I split my time between our corporate office in Bolingbrook & downtown Chicago. It is not uncommon to find me 1 or 2 days a week working at my favorite local coffee shop, Ridmans! When I am not working or hanging with all my friends at the box, my boyfriend Eric and I love to travel. We make it a priority to travel at least a couple times a year.

WHAT INITIALLY GOT YOU INTO CROSSFIT AND WHAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK?

Like many others, for years I had a hard time staying motivated to consistently stick with any type of physical fitness. In 2014, I decided to challenge myself and signed up for the Chicago Marathon. At that point I had never run more than 5 miles at one time. Hoping to build some strength during my marathon training, and to satisfy Eric who couldn’t stop telling me how wonderful Hardware was, I decided to give Crossfit a try. Not only did it help with my marathon training, but I loved the way that Crossfit made me feel. I keep coming back because there is always a challenge and always a new goal to hit. I love the community environment that Jess and George have built at Hardware and some of my greatest friendships have been made there.

WHAT ARE YOUR CROSSFIT GOALS? HOW CLOSE ARE YOU TO REACHING THEM?

My goals are to just keep pushing myself and be consistent. I try to get to the gym at least 5 days every week. Even when I am not feeling my best or if I have had a long stressful day at work, I find those are the days I feel the most rewarded after class. I like the way I feel and at 35 years old I am in the best shape of my life.

WHAT’S AN ACCOMPLISHMENT OR GOAL YOU’VE REACHED DUE TO CROSSFIT THAT’S MADE YOU THE MOST PROUD?

Getting my first pull-up and climbing my first rope are my two proudest moments. Growing up I was always the chubby and not athletic kid who could not do a pull-up or climb a rope in gym class. A couple days after I got my first rope climb I was on the phone with my mom and casually (not so casually) brought it up. She literally screamed across the house to tell my dad that I climbed a rope. They were proud of me, and that memory always makes me happy.

FAVORITE WOD/MOVEMENT?

My favorite movement is front squats and I like any WOD when there is some form of squatting.

Have comfort in knowing that everyone felt awkward and out of place when they first started. Just keep showing up, listen to the coaches, and don’t take yourself too serious. You will get better, stronger, and will naturally want to keep coming back.

Member name:

Torry B.

Athlete of the month: December 2018

Details

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM?

Most of my days, and quite a few evenings, are spent serving as a high school principal. I am also the proud mother of an 8 year old girl, whose interests in gymnastics, cross country, and basketball keep our family busy. When we have a free evening, my husband and I enjoy bowling, long walks, and attending concerts together.

WHAT INITIALLY GOT YOU INTO CROSSFIT AND WHAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK?

My husband, Mélon, who is also part of the Hardware community, suggested that we join a box a little over a year ago. After having previously been active, fit adults, we noticed that we let busy careers and family responsibilities interfere with regular exercise and healthful eating. We were both experiencing health concerns that were the result of poor lifestyle choices and knew that we needed to pursue fitness in order to improve our quality of life. My husband found a crossfit box and signed up right away. He asked me to come check it out on the first night of his on-ramp class. The sights and sounds of the first WOD that I observed were incredibly intimidating–I mean, who were these hardcore people jumping on boxes, pushing heavy weights over their heads, doing gymnastics, hopping on rowing machines, over and over, and then smiling and giving each other high-fives and hugs at the end? I was certain that I could not do any of what I witnessed, but I went for it anyway. As the old adage states, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

Eight months later, I entered my first in-house powerlifting meet and a year later I did the Crossfit Open. When my box closed unexpectedly, I knew that I wanted to continue with Crossfit. I was stronger, faster, and 15 pounds lighter. My health concerns had long disappeared. I made amazing friends who were dedicated to fit lifestyles. The Crossfit community provided the keys to managing the stress of juggling an intense job and parenting responsibilities. I was not interested in returning to a globo gym or pursuing an alternate fitness program. A friend suggested that I check out Hardware. I liked the high-quality coaching and the welcoming community so I signed up right away.

WHAT ARE YOUR CROSSFIT GOALS? HOW CLOSE ARE YOU TO REACHING THEM?

What I love about Crossfit is that there is always something on which you need to work. Right now, I am working on the push press and pull ups. I’d like to move my push press to 135 pounds and, well, be able to do strict pull ups. I’ve just started working on these skills, so I am not close to achieving them. However, I am giving myself until March to achieve the 135 push press and to be able to do 5 strict pull ups.

WHAT’S AN ACCOMPLISHMENT OR GOAL YOU’VE REACHED DUE TO CROSSFIT THAT’S MADE YOU THE MOST PROUD?

I am proud of achieving a 245-lb deadlift and finally being able to string 10-20 double-unders together. I worked hard for those!

FAVORITE WOD/MOVEMENT?

The deadlift is my favorite movement. I also like ab mat sit-ups. While I don’t have a favorite WOD, I do enjoy Hero WODs.

LEAST FAVORITE WOD/MOVEMENT?

Running. I do not like running. Therefore, I am so grateful that Hardware programmed all those running WODs last summer and fall. Every time I went to the gym, there was some kind of running interval in the WOD. I’ve really improved as a result.

Wall balls are also at the bottom of my list..

ANY ADVICE FOR SOMEONE INTERESTED IN TRYING OUT CROSSFIT?

Crossfit is for everyone. No matter what your fitness level, the Crossfit community will welcome you and support you in achieving your fitness goals. You have everything to gain.

Member name:

Eric S.

Athlete of the month: November 2018

Details

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM?

I’m originally from Wisconsin, but I’ve lived in Chicago for over 15 years. I’ve been a vegetarian for 20 years and being from Wisconsin, cheese will always be a part of my diet! I enjoy what I do for work where I currently manage the development of software for a mortgage company. In my free time, I enjoy checking out restaurants around the city and hanging out with friends. Kyle and I love to travel whenever we get the chance, especially to places where we can immerse ourselves in different cultures.

WHAT INITIALLY GOT YOU INTO CROSSFIT AND WHAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK?

I had a buddy that I worked out with at the gym pretty regularly and he started doing CrossFit. He loved it and would tell me about the variety of workouts that he was doing. He kept encouraging me to try it for about a year before I finally decided to give it a go. Once I tried it, I was hooked! That was 5 years ago and I’m just as hooked today as I was back then! I love that the workouts change constantly and there is always something to work toward. Although I love the workouts, I think what keeps me coming back is the strong sense of community. I feel like I am part of a family at Hardware – one that is there to not only encourage you to do better during a workout, but is also there to support you when life gets you down. I feel really lucky to have found such an awesome group of people to be a part of my life.

WHAT ARE YOUR CROSSFIT GOALS? HOW CLOSE ARE YOU TO REACHING THEM?

One of the things that I love most about CrossFit is that there is always room for improvement in everything we do. All of the exercises have different variations that increase in difficulty and skill as you progress. My goal is keep pushing myself to higher levels of difficulty and skill in all of the movements we perform, especially the ones I am less proficient at.

WHAT’S AN ACCOMPLISHMENT OR GOAL YOU’VE REACHED DUE TO CROSSFIT THAT’S MADE YOU THE MOST PROUD?

Some of the movements that we do in CrossFit don’t necessarily come naturally for me. One of the hardest movements for me to learn was the snatch. There’s something about the technique needed that just goes against the way my brain and body are wired! I had to put in a lot of work to get to the place I am at today (which still needs plenty of improvement)! One of the goals I set for myself early on was to someday snatch 135 lbs. It literally took me years of small incremental improvements to get there, but I finally hit it earlier this year. It was a great feeling!

FAVORITE WOD/MOVEMENT? LEAST FAVORITE WOD/MOVEMENT?

One of my favorite movements is probably the burpee. I feel like it not only pushes me physically, but mentally as well.

Before I tried CrossFit, I remember feeling really intimidated by it and felt like I had to be at some higher level of fitness to be a part of it. I couldn’t have been more wrong! All of the movements that we do in CrossFit are scalable to any level of fitness and the people couldn’t be more encouraging. The sense of community is really strong and everyone pushes each other to be the best versions of themselves. If you have doubts like I did, I encourage you to just try it! I think you’ll be surprised by how comfortable you’ll feel in the gym and you might even surprise yourself with what you’re capable of!

Member name:

Brandi V-L.

Athlete of the month: October 2018

Details

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM?

I was born and raised in California and moved to Chicago in 2011. I am currently a PhD candidate in Criminology, Law and Justice with a research focus on juvenile justice policy and the ways in which race and gender intersect with the criminal justice system. Additionally, I am a full-time faculty member at Loyola in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology and the Media Editor of the journal Contemporary Justice Review. I am married to Darcy, who I met just 2 weeks after moving to Chicago. We live in Rogers Park with our two pups, Dexter and Pig and are expecting our first little one in just a couple months. If I could have any job I wanted, I would be an interior designer…I love decorating spaces. I have always had an infatuation with Orca Whales and a love for pickles and when I was in high school I raised two pigs.

WHAT INITIALLY GOT YOU INTO CROSSFIT AND WHAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK?

I have always played team sports (soccer, swim team and rugby). During grad school I fell in love with group fitness and knew I never wanted to ride solo in the gym again. Darcy and I met playing rugby and after we both stopped playing we were looking for something new. We were members at two other CrossFit gyms (neither are still open) before finding our home at Hardware. Aside from the amazing community, what keeps me coming back is the constant variation and consistent challenge. No matter where I am at in terms of ability, CrossFit always offer individual challenges.

WHAT ARE YOUR CROSSFIT GOALS? HOW CLOSE ARE YOU TO REACHING THEM?

Being 7 ½ months pregnant, my CrossFit goals are somewhat unique. My goals are to continue to attend 3-4 classes a week and to stay active until I deliver our little one. My main focus in both of these goals is to simply keep moving…I have had to vary and alter a handful of movements, but as long as I continue to move, I am reaching my goals. Coach Matt and Coach Ozzie have been extremely helpful in providing movements that allow me to reach my goals.

WHAT’S AN ACCOMPLISHMENT OR GOAL YOU’VE REACHED DUE TO CROSSFIT THAT’S MADE YOU THE MOST PROUD?

While I have reached a lot of physical goals while doing CrossFit, I would say the goal I have reached that I am most proud of is a mental/emotional one surrounding body image. So often women (and men too) are told/taught/shown what being beautiful or attractive is…and for women it often doesn’t entail physical strength or muscle mass. CrossFit has helped me to know strength and muscle mass as beauty and to be proud of having both.

FAVORITE WOD/MOVEMENT?

My favorite movement of all time is overhead squats and any workout with them in it.

LEAST FAVORITE WOD/MOVEMENT?

I’m not too fond of thrusters or wall balls or any workouts with those movements included.

ANY ADVICE FOR SOMEONE INTERESTED IN TRYING OUT CROSSFIT?

I would first tell them to try it…and try at least 3 classes before making any decisions. I would also share that not every gym or gym community is the same. Every gym has their own culture, vibe and style of community…find a gym that meets your needs and wants. Lastly, CrossFit transfers into so many other everyday life movements…embrace the simplest and most complex movements because they all contribute.

Member name:

Vic B.

Athlete of the month: September 2018

Details

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM?

Faith, family, my girlfriend (Jasmine), and work keep me busy. I’m very involved in my church, family means the world to me, and work…well, it’s work. I love what I do and the workplace flexibility I have allows me to get into the gym when I want! I enjoy exploring all that Chicago has to offer, especially the restaurants! Oh, and I’m always keeping up with what my favorite Chicago teams are doing – the Bears, the White Sox, and the Blackhawks. Can’t wait for Bears season!

WHAT INITIALLY GOT YOU INTO CROSSFIT AND WHAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK?

I was looking for something different than the usual and after a friend suggested checking into CrossFit I reached out to a couple of CrossFit boxes in the neighborhood. To this day the other box never called me back (we’ll leave that other place unnamed). Needless to say, George got back to me within a day. Things work out for a reason and Hardware CrossFit has been a blast! I had my initial meeting with George, ran through a workout (he’ll tell you about that first workout – it wasn’t pretty) and I was hooked. It started off with a 3 day a week membership, and before you know it I was ready for unlimited status! Now, a few years later, I look forward to gym time…and the WODs!

I keep coming back because of the atmosphere that George, and the coaches, have created at Hardware. It’s different, and you have to experience it in person. There’s a great group of athletes at every class and it’s always fun! ALWAYS!

WHAT ARE YOUR CROSSFIT GOALS? HOW CLOSE ARE YOU TO REACHING THEM?

I think goals evolve. My main goal, in everything including CrossFit is to continue to improve. Whether it’s strength, endurance, gymnastics, or a combination of them. As long as I’m improving, learning, growing, and having fun I reach my goals on a daily basis.

WHAT’S AN ACCOMPLISHMENT OR GOAL YOU’VE REACHED DUE TO CROSSFIT THAT’S MADE YOU THE MOST PROUD?

Specifically within CrossFit it’s probably handstand push-ups and muscle ups. When I first started a few years ago I never thought I’d get to the point of being able to do handstand push-ups and muscle ups in a short amount of time. Goes to show you, Hardware programming (and a little side work) goes a long way!

FAVORITE WOD/MOVEMENT?

My favorite WOD would probably be Grace. Just go all out and have a good time!

LEAST FAVORITE WOD/MOVEMENT?

I would say running, but now it’s more of a challenge and something I’m working on.

ANY ADVICE FOR SOMEONE INTERESTED IN TRYING OUT CROSSFIT?

Give it a shot. An honest shot. Understand that it doesn’t come easy and you’ll have to work at it. Check your ego at the door, work the technique, take cues from the coaches, and ALWAYS have a good attitude. Before you know, it’ll be money time! And if you know what’s good for you, start at Hardware!